


Sweetest Downfall

by so_real



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Confessions, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Kissing, M/M, Seonghwa is tired, Vampires, YouTube, and they were ROOMMATES, mingi talks like hes a thesaurus and its very funny to me, oh my god they were roommates, sani is a little meddling bitch, sorta - Freeform, this is all fluff, those two tags look funky together, vampire mingi, youtuber jongho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 08:42:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28348596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/so_real/pseuds/so_real
Summary: ' "Just tell me, okay? I promise I won't like, kick you out or anything."Mingi looks at him for a long moment before he nods. "Choi Jongho," he starts, and the serious tone of his voice makes Jongho stand on edge. "I am a vampire."There's a bit of silence, and then…"Okay, cool." 'ORthe one where Jongho is a YouTuber looking for a new roommate, and Mingi is a centuries old vampire who is still getting used to modern life
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Song Mingi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 94





	Sweetest Downfall

**Author's Note:**

> hiii! this is my secret santa gift for Felix!
> 
> im sorry this came so late, i honestly have nothing to say for myself other than im a procrastinating mess but i still hope i managed to do your prompt justice
> 
> i had a lot of fun with it, id been meaning to try my hand at writing some jonggi and this was the perfect chance!
> 
> title is from Samson by Regina Spektor, i hope you enjoy!

The bassline pounds a headache behind Jongho's eyes as he carries the two beers back to their table. The bar they usually meet at was full, so they navigated their way to this smaller, hole-in-the-wall-ish pub a few ways down, the only place that seemed to have booths big enough to accomodate all of them. Jongho places one beer in front of Yunho, and sits beside him to nurse the other one.

Their usual crew is still missing one member, but that hasn't stopped everyone from going at it as soon as they arrived. Jongho eyes his eldest friends, known for being spectacular lightweights, and considers how many beers in would it be acceptable to gently but firmly put his foot down. Seonghwa still looks coherent enough, so he guesses they'll be fine for a bit longer.

Just as he's thinking this, the door of the pub opens with some force, and in walks the missing party of their group. San looks around with a small pout before he locates Jongho waving at him, and his mouth stretches in a dimpled grin. He walks over to them, and that's when Jongho notices the tall figure trailing after him like a lost puppy.

"'Sup everyone, sorry we're late," San says as he reaches their table, and giggles when Hongjoong pulls him down on the seat next to him and all but clings to his shoulders. "Hello to you too, I see you've started without me."

"Long week, Sannie," Hongjoong mutters, and San pets his hair distractedly as he turns to his tall shadow. He looks sheepish and a bit uncomfortable, Jongho notices, his shoulders pulled up to his ears like he's trying to occupy as little space as possible.

"Guys, this is my friend Mingi, you don't mind him joining us, right?" he asks. He's met with a chorus of _of course not'_ s and encouraging cheers, and Mingi seems to relax a bit, straightening his posture minutely. "See? Told you so!"

Mingi pouts at that, and Jongho can't help a snicker that gets drowned in Yunho's guffaw of laughter.

"Don't be afraid, Mingi, we don't bite," his tall friend says, and Mingi nods, quietly assessing the booth before sitting beside Jongho, who tries to give him a reassuring smile.

Mingi returns it with a temptative upturn of his own lips, and Jongho has to admit to himself that he's very handsome. He has features that look like they've come straight out of one of those oil paintings his mother likes, all serious and regal, sharp angles and defined lines.

"Aigh, I'm gonna order, want anything, Mingi?" San asks from the other side of the table, and Mingi looks up at him with startled eyes, to which San replies with a slightly guilty face. "Right, sorry, I forgot."

“Don’t mind it,” Mingi replies, and Jongho is surprised by how deep and rich his voice is. San smiles apologetically at him once more before disentangling Hongjoong’s arms from around him and standing up.

As he walks to the counter, the attention of the table gets redirected to Mingi, who hunches up again once he’s put in the spotlight.

“So, Mingi,” starts Yunho, not one to ever beat around the bush. Mingi looks at him with round eyes and worried eyebrows. It makes Jongho pity him a bit. “You’re a friend of Sannie’s?”

“Oh, yes, I, uh… I am a friend of the family,” Mingi explains, features easing into something a bit less worried.

“Cool!” Yunho nods, satisfied with the information. He sends Mingi one of his easy smiles, and Mingi returns it with a little one of his own.

"Are you a student? I don't think I've seen you around," Hongjoong slurs with his cheek smushed against his hand. He's leaning heavily on Seonghwa, who looks moderately worried for his best friend's well-being.

Mingi looks up to him, and his smile falters. "I have studied," he says, which, in Jongho's opinion, doesn't really answer Hongjoong's question, but the older man looks like he's too drunk to go into any further detail.

"You working, then?" he questions, and Mingi shakes his head.

"Not at the moment," he replies, looking uncomfortable. Fortunately, salvation comes for him in the form of San dropping himself next to Hongjoong with a sigh.

"We're trying to find him a job," he explains, and they all nod. San points the butt of his bottle in Mingi's direction. "He can't live on my couch forever, after all."

That makes Mingi duck his head as they all make some sort of noise of understanding.

"You're staying at Sannie's?" Seonghwa asks, delicately, giving Mingi a warm smile.

Mingi pouts and doesn't meet anyone's eyes. "Due to some… unforeseen circumstances with my housing arrangements, I was forced to abandon my previous residence."

"Man, that sucks big time," Yunho declares, and they all agree. "Rent these days, right?"

"Ugh, tell me about it," Jongho complains, earning himself a sympathetic smile from Yunho and a few questioning looks from the rest. "Hyunjin is moving out this month and I need to look for a new roommate."

"Shit, man," Hongjoong says eloquently. Jongho can only agree. Beside him, though, San lights up. His smile occupies most of his face as he turns to Jongho with a look that can only mean trouble.

"What," Jongho tells him, not liking his expression one bit.

"You need a roommate," San says, still smiling his million dollar smile. Jongho nods, uncertain of where exactly he is going with all of this. San's smile grows even wider, if possible. "Mingi needs a proper place to live."

It takes Jongho a couple of seconds of processing before the realization dawns on him.

"Oh."

Turning to his right, he finds Mingi already staring at him with wide eyes. He looks about as baffled as Jongho feels, round eyes and parted lips. Jongho notices how flawless his skin is up close, how pale and smooth his cheeks look, a blank canvas broken only by the moles under his eye and on his jaw.

"Come on, you gotta admit it's perfect!" San pushes, clearly delighted with his own idea. Someone makes a noise of agreement, probably Hongjoong, and Jongho groans. As much as it pains him to even think of it, San could be right.

"You need a place to live?" he asks Mingi, who nods immediately in reply. "But you don't have a job." Mingi shakes his head.

"I do have some savings, though," he says, sensing where Jongho is going with his questions. "I would, of course, be able to contribute to the payment of rent until I am able to procure a more stable source of income."

Jongho mulls it over. It's a lot easier to take this chance than it is to look for a roommate on his own. As much as San can be an airhead sometimes, Jongho does trust his judgement, at least in the friendship department, so if he's suggesting this, it must mean that Mingi is to be trusted.

"Okay," he concedes, and he sees something ease in Mingi's general demeanor. His face relaxes, his shoulders untense, and for the first time, a genuine smile lights up his features.

"Truly?" he asks, sounding almost incredulous, and Jongho shrugs.

"You can't possibly be any worse than my current roommate," he tells him, eliciting a laugh from the rest of the table's occupants.

"Hyunjin is not that bad!" Yunho defends him, still laughing.

"Yeah, he's always been nice to us!" San adds, to which Seonghwa and Hongjoong agree.

Jongho shoots them a long-suffering look. "You don't have to deal with his impromptu dance sessions at three in the morning."

They all wince, and Jongho nods, triumphant.

"Well, Mingi is a great roommate," San says grandiosely. He spreads his arms as wide as his smile to prove his point, and Jongho feels the need to smack them down.

"Yeah, yeah, I don't doubt it," he grumbles. He turns to his right again, eyeing Mingi, who looks grateful and embarrassed in equal parts. "My roommate leaves in two weeks, are you cool with that?"

"That works perfectly, thank you," Mingi concedes with a slight inclination of his head.

Jongho makes a gesture with his hand. "No way, it's me who should be thanking you, you're saving me a lot of effort."

"It's settled, then!" San announces, and the rest cheer. Jongho rolls his eyes, but he gives Mingi a smile. The other man returns it. "Let's celebrate!"

San's suggestion is met with even more cheers, and Jongho kisses his sanity goodbye as Yunho throws his arm over his shoulders and proposes a toast.

* * *

Jongho checks the time on his phone again, and sighs when he realizes it's only been two minutes since he checked last. Hyunjin finished moving his last boxes two days ago, both him and his boyfriend giving Jongho hugs and wishing him the best as they walked out, so Jongho sent San a text to let him know Mingi could come whenever he wanted. His friend had replied with a text full of exclamation marks and heart emojis to notify him that they would both be coming by tonight.

So now Jongho does idle stretches as he waits in the messy living room, which he hasn't even bothered to try and tidy up. What's the point when Mingi will move all his stuff in? Better clean everything once the other man is settled. Which he hopes is sooner, rather than later. Jongho has carried enough boxes in the past few days to last him a lifetime.

The sound of the bell catches him mid stretch and mental rant, and he gets up quickly to ring them in, and stands awkwardly by the door until he hears the elevator door opening and San's happy chatter walking down the corridor. He opens the door before they can knock, and is immediately assaulted by an overexcited San jumping into his arms.

He stumbles back a couple of steps as San talks nonsense on his ear a mile a minute. Jongho supports him for a while longer before prying his arms from around his neck and holding him at an arm's length.

"Yes, hello, it's nice to see you too," he tells San, whose attention has already shifted to Mingi, who is politely waiting just inside the door, waiting for their interaction to finish.

"Come in," Jongho tells both of them, and guides them to the kitchen. "Want anything?"

"Got any coke in that health freak fridge of yours?" San asks as he plops down on one of the chairs. Mingi quietly takes the one opposite him, and says _no, thank you_ in an equally low voice.

Jongho opens the fridge and places a can of coke in front of San's surprised face. "Hyunjin left them here," he explains with a pout, which makes San laugh and immediately open the can.

"I knew it," he chirps, and sends Mingi a wink.

Jongho reclines against the kitchen counter and watches them both. They make a pair, sitting in Jongho's kitchen, San, bright and cheerful and unabashed, and Mingi, awkward and serious and polite. Jongho hopes he's just shy, because as much as he values some peace and quiet, he doesn't think he can live with someone so serious.

"You brought your stuff?" he asks, to break the silence that has fallen over them.

Mingi nods, and San confirms. "It's in my car."

"That's good," Jongho says, eager to start moving. The sooner they start, the sooner they'll finish.

"Yeah," San mutters, and then, gives Mingi a furtive glance. "Actually, we wanted to talk to you about something first."

Jongho raises an eyebrow at him. "What is it?"

San hesitates. He looks at Mingi again. "Mingi? Wanna do the honors?"

Mingi looks like all he wants to do is crawl under a rock and stay there, but he nods. He turns to give Jongho a stern look, and Jongho tenses in anticipation.

"Before we begin our living arrangement, I would like to share with you something regarding my nature," he says, gravely. Not for the first time, Jongho notices that he seems to speak in an overly polite and refined speech, something strange, but not that unusual, considering. Maybe he's a theater major.

"Your nature?" he parrots, confused. "If this is you coming out to me, know that one, you don't have to, and two, I don't mind. We're all gay as hell here."

San makes a little whoop behind his coke to confirm it.

Mingi shakes his head, although he does look a bit more relaxed than he did two seconds ago. "Nothing of that sort, although I must admit that brings me some relief, given that I, too am… of that persuasion."

To avoid laughing, Jongho gives San a look that says _where did you find this guy_ , to which San replies with a look of his own that says _you don't even want to know_.

Mingi, seemingly unaware of the silent exchange going on in front of him, continues with his speech. "No, I'm afraid the information I'm about to share with you might be slightly more sensitive, given that some might consider it threatening to their safety."

"Dude, no offense, but starting like that sure does feel like a threat," San interrupts him, and Jongho nods, because he kind of agrees, even though he doesn't think he could feel threatened by Mingi in any situation. The other man might be taller than him, but he also looks like he hasn't got that much fight in him. Jongho could probably beat him up, given the case, but he has the feeling it would be like fighting a puppy.

"It does?" Mingi asks, looking lost for a second, an expression that only serves to add to Jongho's reasoning, because it looks utterly adorable. "My apologies, that was the last thing I intended."

"I know," Jongho reassures him, and Mingi seems to deflate. "Just tell me, okay? I promise I won't like, kick you out or anything."

Mingi looks at him for a long moment before he nods. "Choi Jongho," he starts, and the serious tone of his voice makes Jongho stand on edge. "I am a vampire."

There's a bit of silence, and then…

"Okay, cool," Jongho says, because truly, he _is_ cool with it. "Do you want me to make any accomodations? I usually record stuff around the apartment during the day, but if you want some quiet, I guess we can come up with a schedule."

Mingi's face is the perfect picture of shock. "You- Are you-"

"I told you Jongho was cool," San tells him, grinning like a content cat. His dimples are awfully smug, in Jongho's opinion.

Mingi opens his mouth, closes it again, and then says, "Well, yes, but you must understand-"

"That it's been a while and people weren't so open back then, yes, I know," San assures him, reaching out and patting him on the hand. Mingi pouts at him. "But times have changed! And now we have supremely cool people like Choi Jongho, youtuber extraordinaire."

Jongho feels his cheeks coloring at the last comment. "Shut it, will you? You have more subs than I do."

"Only because you won't do your workouts shirtless," San shoots back without missing a bit. Jongho glowers at him, and Mingi looks extremely confused.

"Don't listen to him," Jongho tells him, and Mingi nods, seeming happy to be told so. "And seriously, don't worry, we can work stuff out."

Mingi looks up at him with big eyes. "You are too kind."

"Nah," Jongho says, ignoring the way his cheeks heat up again. "It's common decency."

"No, Jjongie, you really are a good one," San pipes in, and Jongho gives him another look. "I'm glad Mingi gets to stay with you."

Jongho's cheeks must be the color of beets now with how hard he's blushing. "Gah, shut it, both of you! Let me show you around."

It's an obvious attempt at drawing attention away from himself, but neither of them mentions it, instead allowing Jongho to give them a tour of the apartment. It isn't much, just two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a living room, but it does the deed, and the landlady is nice, so Jongho finds he quite likes it.

"This would be your room," he points out as they walk into the now barren bedroom that used to be occupied by Hyunjin and his plushies. "We can get you some sheets and stuff later."

"That would be most appreciated," Mingi mutters.

They go and fetch Mingi's things from San's car, and Jongho likes the feeling of being productive that comes with carrying the few boxes they've brought inside the apartment. They leave them in Mingi's room, for him to sort later, and regroup in the living room once more.

"You can bring the rest of the stuff tomorrow," Jongho tells San, who makes a face.

"That… kind of was all," he says, and gives Mingi a look.

"Most of my belongings were left behind at my old house," Mingi explains, sounding defeated. San pats his knee, looking sad himself.

"Apparently most of the things 'came with the house', so he only got to keep some clothes and the most personal objects when he was kicked out," he tells Jongho.

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Jongho tells Mingi, who sighs and folds his hands on his lap.

“To a new beginning, I suppose,” he says, and Jongho can recognize the hint of determination in his voice.

“And a great one, I’m sure!” San adds, never one to be sad for long. Mingi looks at him with the beginning of a smile, and Jongho thinks they’ll be okay.

San leaves after making sure everything is in place, and promises, or rather threatens, to swing by sometime later in the week to check on them. Jongho pushes him out the door as politely as he can and thanks him for worrying, but reminds him they’re both adults who can look after themselves. He closes the door on San's pout and leans heavily against it with a sigh. It's been a very long week, and it's only Tuesday.

Walking into the living room, he finds Mingi right where he left him, sitting with his hands on his lap and staring into nothingness. Jongho takes in his serious expression, the stern set of his eyebrows, and feels the urge to ease the distress raise in him, new and strange and definitely something he doesn't know how to acknowledge.

"Will you be okay?" he asks Mingi from the kitchen doorway.

Mingi redirects his pensive eyes towards him. "I will, eventually."

Jongho nods, and takes a step towards the kitchen before he stops himself. "I'm going to make some tea, do you want some?"

"I can't really consume any type of food or drink," Mingi informs him, and Jongho mentally kicks himself for not remembering that. He's about to apologize when Mingi surprises him by smiling. "But I do find the warmth and smell of tea most comforting, so if you wouldn't mind having one cup go cold…"

"I'll make you one," Jongho tells him, and Mingi's smile grows thankful. "Is green tea okay?"

"Yes, thank you."

Jongho shakes his head on his way to the kitchen. "Don't mention it, what even are roommates for?"

Once the tea is done, they sit on the couch, each cradling their own steaming cup, and Jongho finds that the silence among them isn't quite as awkward as he'd expected it to be. Mingi holds his cup with utmost care, looking almost transfixed by the liquid, and Jongho can't help but wonder...

"When was the last time you had tea?"

Mingi looks up, startled, and smiles a little, sheepish smile. "Is it that apparent?"

Jongho can't help but laugh. "You looked like you were seeing an old friend for the first time in years."

"I suppose that's one way to put it," Mingi says, his smile still dancing on his lips. Jongho finds that he likes it a lot more when he smiles. His features relax, and overall, he just looks a lot softer. "I'd say it's been some two hundred years since the last time."

Jongho lets out a low whistle. "That's quite a lot. Is that when you were turned?"

"Not at all," Mingi shakes his head. "But I do believe it was the last time I saw a human before two months ago."

Jongho winces. "Wait, for real? Two hundred years?"

He tries to imagine spending all that time alone, and can't even begin to understand how someone could survive. Looking at Mingi, he thinks he sees the years of solitude embedded in every line of him, from his dark eyes to the set of his mouth. It makes Jongho sad, for some reason.

"I… needed some time," Mingi says. His smile has fallen, and Jongho decides to drop the subject.

He takes a sip of his tea to give himself a moment to think, and watches as Mingi's eyes return to his cup, his hands gentle where they curl around the warm ceramic surface. He looks at peace like this, and Jongho will count that as a small victory.

"How did you meet San?" he asks, trying to steer conversation into a safer ground.

Mingi's expression turns melancholic. "I did not lie, I have been a friend of the family since several centuries ago. One of San's ancestors was a dear friend of mine, and his family has always shown great hospitality to me whenever I have been in need."

Jongho nods, impressed. "That's so nice, he never mentioned anything."

"I suppose it isn't a matter his family would want divulged, even if he so assures me times have changed," Mingi reasons, and Jongho makes a noise of affirmation.

"Times _have_ changed, though," he assures him, because they have. "I mean, of course there will always be bigots, but most people are cool with vampires, these days. There's no need for you to hide anymore."

Mingi looks at him for a very long moment, and Jongho knows he is being examined, but he can't say he's afraid. "I will have to see that, I suppose."

"Yeah, man," Jongho confirms triumphantly. "And you don't have to do it alone, I'm here if you need anything, and so is San, and any of the other idiots you met the other day. You're part of the crew now."

Something in Mingi's face seems to break when he hears those words. "You- why are you being so kind to me?"

And Jongho has never been a particularly violent person, but he suddenly feels the urge to go back in time and beat up every single person who made Mingi think he could not belong.

"I told you, you're one of us now," he says, perhaps more fiercely than he intended. "We look after one another."

Mingi just stares at him with wide eyes without uttering a word, and Jongho wonders whether he's overdone it. He scratches his neck, suddenly self-conscious, and is about to backtrack when Mingi speaks again.

"Thank you," he says, his voice wavery but his eyes filled with warmth.

Jongho makes a gesture with his hand to hide his embarrassment. "You're welcome, it's really nothing."

Mingi's face says it's more than he can even begin to comprehend, but he doesn't say anything, simply brings his tea up to his face and inhales, closing his eyes and smiling minutely to himself. Jongho thinks, once more, that he likes it when he smiles.

"What is it that you do, Jongho?" Mingi asks, taking Jongho by surprise. He sounds calmer now, and Jongho finds he's also more relaxed than he has been in a while.

"Oh, I have a YouTube channel," he explains, nonchalantly. "It's not much, but it pays the bills."

Mingi's face scrunches up in confusion. "I'm afraid I am not following you."

"Right," Jongho breathes. Of course the ancient vampire who hasn't interacted with a human in two hundred years doesn't know what YouTube is. "Did San tell you anything about the Internet?"

Mingi thinks about it. "I recall he attempted to show something to me."

"Okay, good," Jongho nods, making to stand up. "Is it cool if I show you some more?"

"By all means. I am terribly curious about all the advancements I have missed in my absence," Mingi says, sounding excited. Jongho already likes that a lot more than his sulking pouts.

"Perfect, let me get my laptop," he says before bolting to his room.

He quickly grabs his laptop from his desk and, after a second of consideration, he also takes his camera with him. When he returns, Mingi has set his cup of tea on the table and is waiting with his hands folded on his lap again.

"Alright, let me show you," Jongho says, sitting closer to him this time and placing the camera on the table too. He opens his laptop and waits for it to light up before typing in his password. "This is a laptop," he says, wiggling the device. "It's like a portable computer, has San told you about computers?"

Mingi makes a face. "He did try, but I'm not certain I managed to grasp most of it."

"Understandable," Jongho concedes. "A computer is basically this thing with which you can do lots of stuff, but mainly access the Internet."

"That is the concept I'm struggling the most with," Mingi confides, and Jongho laughs.

"Yeah, I can only imagine," he says, clicking the browser icon on his laptop. "Think of it as this hypothetical space where everyone who has access to can communicate with one another."

"Right…" Mingi says, curious eyes following the movement of Jongho's cursor on the screen. He clicks on his YouTube channel's shortcut, and watches as Mingi's face lights up with awe. "How does it do that?"

Jongho scratches his nose. "I can't exactly tell you the specifics, just know that that's basically what it does," he says, regretfully. It's not like he's an engineer or anything. "But yeah, this is my channel."

"Jjong fitness," Mingi reads out loud, and Jongho tries not to feel self conscious about his content. "And what is it you do in this… channel?"

It's clear that the words are still foreign to him, but he's making the effort. Jongho feels the urge to pat his head.

"I mostly record workout routines, but sometimes I do videos about healthy habits and other stuff," he explains.

Mingi looks confused again. "I'm not sure I understand."

"You know how San records himself eating?" Mingi nods, although he doesn't look too sure. "I do the same, but instead of going out and eating, I do exercise."

"Alright," Mingi says, and Jongho can tell from his tone alone that he still doesn't understand.

"Let me show you," he says, scrolling through the videos section and selecting one. It's a simple routine he uploaded a few weeks ago, something light and quick that will most likely not surprise Mingi that much.

His own voice greets him from the laptop's speaker, but Jongho is hardly paying any attention to the video, his eyes on Mingi's face instead. He looks awed by the video, although not as much as Jongho had expected him to, and he supposes San has been introducing him to the world of technology during the past two months.

"This seems exhausting," Mingi comments, and this time, Jongho laughs heartily.

"This is a light workout," he says, which makes Mingi look at him with wide eyes.

"Whatever would you exhaust yourself on purpose for?" he asks, baffled, and Jongho loses it again at his expression. "Do not laugh at me! This is a genuine concern!"

"I take it you're not a man of action," Jongho says in between chuckles.

Mingi pouts. "My talents lie elsewhere."

"I'm sure of that," he concedes, and casts his laptop aside to pick up his camera. "I also do other stuff."

Mingi raises an eyebrow at him, still pouting. "Namely?"

"Photography," Jongho replies, presenting the camera to Mingi. The vampire eyes it cautiously, probably unsure of what to do with it. "You know, like instant paintings?"

"I know what a photograph is," Mingi says, petulantly, and Jongho laughs again.

"Right, sorry," he says, turning the camera so that Mingi can look at the little screen on the back of it. "I have a separate account for these, because they are a bit more personal," he explains as he skips through them. It's a charming mix of nature shots and pics of his friends, with the occasional building or food dish in the middle. "Oh, I really like how this one came out."

In the picture, a tiny Seonghwa runs away as a tiny San chases after him, both of them laughing and unaware of the camera pointed at them. Jongho likes capturing these candids the most, the private moments of joy, the simplicity of being with your loved ones.

"They seem very happy," Mingi comments, and Jongho nods, looking at the shot fondly.

"Yeah," he breathes. "Yeah they do."

They sit in silence for a bit, both lost in thought as they look at the picture until Jongho snaps out of it.

"Anyway, it's late," he says, looking at the clock on top of the TV. It's a bit past eleven. "I wanted to hit the gym early tomorrow."

"Right," Mingi mutters, prying his eyes from the camera. "You should get some sleep."

Jongho nods, but makes no move to get up. "Will you be okay on your own?"

Mingi considers it for a moment. "I think I will manage."

"Okay," Jongho accepts. "Wake me if you need anything. There isn't a lot to do, but feel free to grab a book or watch TV. Did San teach you about that?" A nod. "Great! The spare key is on the plate by the door too, I think the 7-Eleven downstairs is open 24/7 if you need anything."

"Thank you," Mingi says, and Jongho does get up then, gathering his things and making for his room.

He changes into his pyjamas and brushes his teeth quickly, and then peeks out of the corridor to check on Mingi once more. He has gotten up and is inspecting the titles in the bookshelf by the TV, so Jongho thinks he'll be okay.

"Good night," he calls out, and Mingi turns to him with a start. Jongho smiles at him.

"Good night," he replies, and he returns his smile.

* * *

After that first night, they work out a sort of routine.

Jongho pushes his bedtime a bit, and Mingi wakes up earlier in the evenings, and the other way around in the mornings. Jongho will make tea, and Mingi will talk to him as he gets ready to go out, or to sleep. In the evenings, Mingi will ask questions about modern life, and Jongho will try to answer them. Sometimes, they watch history documentaries, other times, action movies, and in between, Mingi starts to open up.

He laughs more, and more often, and Jongho revels in the sound every time. He also talks more about himself, about his life before, and Jongho listens raptly, fascinated by the stories and the wisdom. He learns, though, that underneath all the wise and big words, Mingi is nothing but a warm and caring person, who loves cuddling up to Jongho on the couch as they watch World War II documentaries, and who cries when the main characters get together in movies.

And Jongho, who has never cared much for cuddles or romantic comedies, finds himself enjoying both of those things if they're with Mingi. It's a realization that shocks him, and has him thinking deeply about the nature of his feelings for the vampire one evening as he cooks himself dinner, about five months after Mingi moved in.

Mingi is blissfully out of the apartment, having woken before sundown to get ready for a job interview, and leaving in a flurry of excited chatter and nervous laughter. Jongho saw him out proudly, and is now chopping carrots for his dinner as he thinks of the vampire's smile.

"Do I like him?" he asks himself, opening the fridge to get some eggs. He gently places a blood bag in place without thinking, having grown accustomed to them over the past few months.

When he finds himself unable to answer his own question, he does the only thing he can think of, and calls Hongjoong.

"Jjongie?" his friend's voice sounds confused on the phone's speaker, and Jongho checks the time again to make sure it's not too late.

"Did I interrupt something?" he questions, beating the eggs.

"No, don't worry, I was finishing some pieces for a video," Hongjoong replies, and Jongho can imagine him sitting in the middle of his and Seonghwa's living room with bits of fabric and colored markers all around him. "What's up?"

"How do I know if I like someone?" Jongho asks, direct to the point.

Hongjoong makes a noise like he's choking. "I'm sorry, what?"

"How do I know if I have romantic feelings for someone?" Jongho repeats, unsure where the problem is.

"Why are you asking me this?" Hongjoong asks back, sounding baffled.

"You get crushes faster than anyone I know," Jongho replies, and thinks he hears someone laugh over the sound of Hongjoong's offended noise. "Is Seonghwa there with you?"

"Yeah," Hongjoong says, sounding annoyed. "He came to scold me but stayed to eavesdrop."

"Hi, Jjongie!" Seonghwa chirps, and Jongho snorts.

"Hey," he replies, stirring the veggies in the pan.

"You like someone?" Seonghwa asks, sounding gentle despite the nosy question.

"That's the thing, I don't know," he explains.

"Have you never liked anyone before?" Hongjoong asks, and Jongho thinks about it.

"There have been… crushes, I guess, but I don't think I've ever seriously liked anyone," he says, pouring the eggs over the veggies.

"And does this person not feel like a crush?" Seonghwa questions.

"No," Jongho answers. That's the one thing he knows. "It's- it feels different with him, I don't know. I want to take care of him."

There's a bit of silence on the other end of the line, and Jongho tries not to think too much of it as he flips his omelette.

"This person we're talking about," Seonghwa starts tentatively. "Is it Mingi?"

Jongho almost drops the pan when he hears that. "How- how did you know?"

Another beat of silence.

"So the other day we were doing our weekly streaming of your videos," Hongjoong explains, and Jongho smiles, because he does the same with all of his friends. "And you started talking about your roommate in the middle of it."

Jongho recalls it, he was telling a story about the time Mingi had startled himself with the toaster trying to help Jongho fix his breakfast. "I've talked about him before."

"Yeah, but this time was different," Seonghwa says, and Jongho holds his breath instinctively. "The way you were talking about him, the fondness in your eyes… I told Hongjoongie, you looked entirely smitten."

"Oh," Jongho breathes. How ironic.

"So maybe, you already had the answer to your question," Hongjoong says quietly. "Even if you didn't know it."

"Oh," he says again, eloquently. "What do I do now?"

"That's difficult to tell," Seonghwa replies. "I mean, it's mostly up to you, but I would say to talk to him about it."

"Yeah," Hongjoong agrees. "You didn't hear it from me, but I've gotten notice that maybe he might have had a similar conversation with someone I'm not allowed to name."

"So he told San about me?" Jongho asks, and hears something that sounds an awful lot like a slap over the line. "And San told you guys?"

"I'm not allowed to disclose any further information," Hongjoong says somberly. Jongho hears a sigh.

"Right," he says, flatly. Why are his friends like this? "Thank you, I guess."

"You're more than welcome!" Hongjoong exclaims. "You've got this!"

"Please, shut up already," Seonghwa sighs, and there's the sound of scuffle before his voice sounds a lot closer to the phone. "Seriously though, Jongho, in the end, nothing we say matters, you should do as your heart tells you."

"I- I'll see," Jongho says, and he can imagine Seonghwa's proud smile.

"Good luck," he tells him. Jongho smiles.

"Thank you."

* * *

Jongho's heart tells him it's not ready yet to face the budding feelings he's developing.

Mingi comes home later that night with a spring to his step and a huge smile on his face and practically tackles Jongho into the couch to inform him that his interview was successful and he will be starting at his new job on Friday.

"It was so lovely!" he says, his chin propped on Jongho's chest. He's been picking up a more modern language lately, and Jongho can tell he makes the effort to sound less archaic. "The owners were so nice to me, Jongho, you would most certainly have liked them."

"I'm so glad," Jongho tells him, and tries not to over analyse the way he can feel his pulse on his ears.

"Me too!" Mingi says, resting his cheek on his chest. Jongho feels himself grow hot. "Did you want to watch something on the television tonight?"

Jongho considers it, ponders whether his heart will survive, and loses a sigh. "Sure."

They end up watching a documentary about wildlife in South America, and Mingi bids him good night with a hug.

Jongho falls asleep telling himself that tomorrow he'll be brave enough to face his feelings.

* * *

The next day, he's not brave enough to face his feelings.

Nor is he the day after. Or any of the days that follow. Mingi goes to work, comes back full of smiles and stories, tells Jongho all about the vampire-run bar, and about its owners (Wooyoung and Yeosang), who have been vampires for a considerably shorter time than him, but who are incredibly nice and understanding. Jongho watches him laugh and feels himself drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

Before he knows it, two more months have passed, and he doesn't think he can take it anymore. Mingi glows brighter by the day, and Jongho thinks he'll just be blinded by his light if he doesn't do something about it.

Like now, laying on Jongho's bed as he is, talking excitedly about the dog he saw on his way to work yesterday, and Jongho can barely focus on the video he's editing, because all he can think of is how nice it would be to walk over and kiss him.

"Am I distracting you?" Mingi, who must have noticed his state, asks.

"Yes," Jongho says before he can think, and looks up to see Mingi's smile fall from his lips. "But not for the reason you're thinking!"

Nice save, he tells himself. Now Mingi looks confused, instead of upset, and he will have to explain himself. Genius, really.

"I-" he starts, and stops himself. He looks at Mingi, at his beautiful face, his gentle eyes, his kind heart, and feels it would be unfair to keep hiding this from him any longer. "You are distracting me because I can't stop thinking about you."

Mingi's mouth opens in a little, surprised, "Oh."

"Yeah," Jongho mutters, looking away. "I want to kiss you so much it's ridiculous."

Mingi makes a sputtering noise, and Jongho looks up at him, worried, only to find him looking like he just got punched in the face.

"Jongho," he says, and it sounds like a plea. "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

It's Jongho's turn to sputter. "Because- I didn't want to make a fool of myself!"

"And you thought depriving us both of this was a more suitable alternative?" Mingi asks, sounding half amused, half pained.

"Well, yeah, of c- Wait," Jongho's thoughts screech to a halt as he registers Mingi's words. "Us _both_?!"

Mingi stands up from the bed, smiling softly as he walks over to him, and Jongho feels all remaining threads of sanity leaving his body as the vampire cradles his face with a cool hand.

"Oh, my little oblivious human," he breathes, his eyes full of something that looks a lot like adoration. "If only you knew how much I've yearned for you."

Jongho chokes on air. His face feels like it's on fire. "D-don't say shit like that!"

Mingi smiles, slow and tender. "Then how about I say this?" he mutters, leaning in. "Choi Jongho, may I kiss you?"

Jongho thinks he's hallucinating when he murmures a tiny _yes_ , and Mingi's lips fall on his like the softest summer rain. Mingi's lips are soft and plush, more lovely than anything Jongho has ever felt, and they move against his own in a slow and gentle pace, giving Jongho all the time he needs to assimilate his situation and kiss back.

The angle is not as comfortable as it could be, and Jongho doesn't know what to do with his hands, but Mingi kisses him like it's the only thing he wants to do for the rest of his life, and Jongho thinks he could happily die like this.

They part after a while, so that Jongho can breathe and Mingi can collect himself, and the vampire rests their foreheads together, his nose brushing Jongho's as he pants.

"So impossibly lovely," he mutters against Jongho's mouth, and Jongho feels like he did just die.

"Please," he demands. "Don't say stuff like that."

"However else would I express my devotion to you?" Mingi asks, sounding amused. Jongho is going to kill him once he's done dying.

"Like this," he says, pushing up and kissing him again. Mingi makes a little noise of contentment when he pushes them towards the bed, and lets himself be lowered onto it with Jongho.

"Hmm," he muses as Jongho noses under his jaw. "Works for me."

"Good," Jongho decides, before joining their lips once more and shutting him up effectively.

**Author's Note:**

> its not really mentioned anywhere but the other boyos also have youtube channels
> 
> hong has a channel where he does like fashion guru stuff but in a cute and very comfortable way
> 
> hwa has an asmr channel (i never said i was original)
> 
> yuyu has one of those channels where he reacts to stuff and does challenges
> 
> sani has a mukbang channel
> 
> anygay, thanks for reading!


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